The prior art is already aware of pliable or flexible containers for liquid-tightly containing liquids and like materials. Examples of such containers are found U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,517,027 and 3,009,498 and 3,862,684 and 3,878,977 and 4,171,755 and 4,196,030 and U.S. Pat. No. 24,251. The concern of the prior art container, as well as the concern of the container of the present invention, is to contain liquids in pliable pouches formed by two overlying sheets of flexible material, or similarly forming a liquid-tight container. Ultimately, the container is unsealed so that the liquid contents can be dispensed, as desired. One common use for this type of container is for food condiments, such as ketchup, mustard, and for dairy products, drugs, concentrates, and any and all considerations where liquid or other flowable material is to be contained in a tight pouch which can be readily opened for dispensing the contents when desired.
The present invention differs from the prior art mentioned in that the present invention provides a container having a spout portion which initially extends away from the main body or pouch portion of the container and then the spout portion is redirected to extend back toward the pouch portion and ultimately to the exterior of the entire container. With this arrangement, the contents can be dispensed only when pressure is applied to the pouch portion, and when pressure is released then the contents will not flow from the pouch portion, and this occurs when the user finger-squeezes the pouch portion and subsequently releases that squeezing pressure.
Still further, the container of this invention differs from the prior art in that it provides for a spout which has its outlet section directed diagonally, or at an angle, with respect to the length of the entire container or its pouch portion itself which presents an elongated axis or length and therefore has its spout outlet directed diagonally to that axis, all for ease and accuracy of dispensing the container contents through finger pressure, as described.
Still further, the present invention differs from the prior art in that it provides for a container of two sheets of pliable material which are biaxially oriented with respect to each other so that they cannot be torn through normal finger or even fingernail pressures, but instead a preliminary cut or slit in the edge of the material is required in order to tear the material to thereby open the spout when desired. Accordingly, the present invention provides for the arrangement of the two sheets of container material in the overlying or laminated form, but which do not tear without the aid of an initial tear, cut, or slit formed in their edges and with that slit extending in the direction which would intersect the otherwise sealed end of the container's spout portion, all for rendering the container unsealed for dispensing its contents.
Other objects and advantages, and distinctions over the prior art, include the provision of the pliable container mentioned and wherein the spout is of a reversely directed configuration along its length so that the dispensing material will actually reverse its direction of flow and will therefore flow out of the container only under adequate finger pressure and will actually form a trap in the spout when finger pressure is released, all for assuring that there will be no undesirable evacuation of the material without appropriate finger pressure applied to the container. These objectives are also achieved by virtue of the provision of a tapered spout which reduces its cross-sectional area toward the spout outlet, all for controlling the evacuation of the container contents, and the outlet is at a corner of the container so that it can be acurately dispensed.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawing.